PSSE Member Lee Blackwell passed away Thursday, 19 April 2018.
Further details at: http://covenantfuneralservice.com/obituary?id=316513
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TAPS – Major(Ret) Dieter Protsch
Dieter H.B. Protsch, Major, U.S. Army (Ret) Special Forces and 82 Airborne, Ft. Bragg, N.C. who resided in Hagerstown, MD passed away on March 30, 2018 surrounded by loved ones at home.
Born in Berlin, Germany April 29, 1932, he emigrated to the U.S. in 1956 where he joined the U.S. Army, serving in Vietnam, Korea, and Germany.
He retired in 1976, after 20 years of service.
Dieter was a member of Detachment”A” and served as a Team Leader in 1963. He is the author of the book Be All You Can Be: From a Hitler Youth in WWII to a US Army Green Beret.
Detachment”A” Scuba Cross Training with the Royal Engineers in Kiel Germany
These photos were taken during a cross-training exercise with Detachment”A” and the Royal Engineers Diving Unit in Kiel Germany in the 80’s. Major(Ret) Les Rutherford who was a Warrant Officer during this exercise later Officer Commanding the Royal Engineers Diving Unit in Kiel Germany.
DMOR SGM Gilbert Turcotte(Ret)
Sergeant Major Gilbert Turcotte (Ret) was inducted into the Special Forces Hall of Fame on 4 May 2018 at Fort Bragg, NC, as a Distinguished Member of the Special Forces Regiment in recognition of his outstanding Special Forces career and his major contributions to the Special Forces regiment.
Peter Kelly 70s Era Photos
Peter Kelly, Former Team Six Commander and S-3 Detachment “A” 70s era photos.
WHO’S WHO IN DETACHMENT”A”/SOG
Who’s Who in Detachment “A” who also served in the top-secret Special Operations SOG units in Vietnam
This section recognizes and pays tribute to all those Detachment “A” members who also served in the prestigious unit SOG – another unit unrecognized for decades. This list shows the caliber of Special Forces troops that served in Detachment ”A” and SOG yet were unrecognized for decades. This is not an exhaustive list.
| Hermann Adler | Herman David Halterman | Bill Queen |
| Howard “Zipper” Allen | John Heintel | Jimmy Reeves |
| Ron Braughton Project 404 Laos | Rick Hendricks | Harvey Saal |
| Nick Brokhausen | Lou Herman | Joel Schelkelberger |
| Phillip M. Brown | Ralph Keith | John Silk |
| Bob Charest | Kim Kendle | Gil Turcotte |
| Stu Cranson | Tadeusz M. Kepczyk | Thomas Twomey |
| Ron Davidson | Manfred Kropp | Paul Whitmore |
| Gentry Deck | Bob Kuenstle | James Wilde |
| Emmett “Jessie” Dover | Bob Lees | Sid Williams |
| Bill Durant | Georg Moskaluk | Robert Willis |
| Warner “Rocky” Farr | Charlie Monson | Robert G. Willis |
| Julius Farago | James “Dusty” Moore | Don Wolken |
| Jerry “Paco” Fontana | John O’Keefe | Ivan Woronchuk |
| Paul Foster | Ralph Ormes | Ed Yarbrough |
| Claude L. Greeney | Roderick Patterson | John “Rowdy” Yeats |
| Richard Gross | Bob Picknell |
Nick Brokhausen Book: WE FEW: U.S. Special Forces in Vietnam
Former Member of Detachment”A” Nick Brokhausen has written a book about his time in CCN part of MACV-SOG in Vietnam. The book entitled We Few: U.S. Army Special Forces in Vietnam – Suicide missions in enemy territory with the SOG. The hard copy book will be released on 2 April 2018. It is available for pre-order on Amazon. Click here for additional book info on Amazon
On his second tour to Vietnam, Nick Brokhausen served in Recon Team Habu, CCN. This unit was part of MACV-SOG (Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observations Group), or Studies and Observations Group as it was innocuously called. The small recon companies that were the center of its activities conducted some of the most dangerous missions of the war, infiltrating areas controlled by the North Vietnamese in Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The companies never exceeded more than 30 Americans, yet they were the best source for the enemy’s disposition and were key to the US military being able to take the war to the enemy. This was accomplished by utilizing both new and innovative technology, and tactics dating back to the French and Indian Wars.
This small unit racked up one of the most impressive records of awards for valor of any unit in the history of the United States Army. It came at a terrible price, however; the number of wounded and killed in action was incredibly high. Those missions today seem suicidal. In 1970 they seemed equally so, yet these men went out day after day with their indigenous allies – Montagnard tribesmen, Vietnamese, and Chinese Nungs – and faced the challenges with courage and resolve.
This riveting memoir details the actions and experiences of a small group of Americans and their allies who were the backbone of ground reconnaissance in the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. It became a cult classic among the Special Forces community when first published over a decade ago. There are no longer any copies of the original edition for sale as they were passed around until they actually disintegrated.
Ballad of Green Beret Auf Deutsch
Ballad of Green Beret Auf Deutsch
Aus den Wolken springt der Tod,
Zwoelf Green Berets im Morgenrot
Unterdrueckte zu befrein
Ziehn sie in den Kampf hinein.
Halten dort ein streng’s Gericht,
Fuerchten Tod und Teufel nicht.
Dschihadisten’s feige Brut
Zahlt den Preis mit ihrem Blut.
Wenn auch ein mancher faellt dabei,
Denn die Freiheit ist nicht frei,
In der Heimat warten schon
Die junge Witwe und ihr Sohn.
Eines Tag’s gewinnt auch er
Das Barrett, das Helden ehrt;
Denn wo das Sternenbanner fliegt
Steh’n Green Berets, stets unbesiegt.
Lyrics by Jeffrey H. Raker, CSM USA Special Forces (Ret)
TAPS – SGM(Ret) Gary M. Betterton
Former Detachment “A” member SGM(Ret) Garry Betterton passed away on 26 November 2017. Gary served in Detachment”A” from 1978-1981.
TAPS – Hermann Adler
Hermann Adler passed away Tuesday 14 November 2017. Hermann served in Detachment “A” as Team Leader from 1970 – 1974.